There’s been recent criticism against employee wellbeing programs. Some of this criticism may be warranted — mainly that disjointed, stand-alone wellbeing initiatives are unlikely to have a significant impact on employee health and wellbeing.1 This criticism points to the larger truth that offering stand-alone wellbeing initiatives does not equal having a wellbeing strategy.

Build a wellbeing program for the unique needs of your employees.

When you approach wellbeing strategically, you uncover what your employees need or will find meaningful first, then determine what you should offer. For example, your employees may not find yoga classes or a diabetes management program relevant but might be motivated to access financial counseling.

This makes a wellbeing strategy essential. It will inform which supports and initiatives are relevant, how they should interact with each other as part of a comprehensive wellbeing program, and how to get employees involved. Part of the issue is that some organizations don’t ask themselves a simple question before building their wellbeing program: Why are we offering these supports and initiatives?

Wellbeing is an individual journey – not every support or initiative is going to connect with every employee. However, when you build your wellbeing program with the unique needs of your employees in mind, you increase the chances of them finding meaning in the initiatives you are offering. This helps create impact. And it’s not always about adding new things to your wellbeing program. Sometimes it’s about how you highlight and communicate what you already have - so your employees can see how it supports their personal health needs.

There are many reasons why organizations invest in a wellbeing strategy. First and foremost, organizations care about their employees. Healthy employees are happier, more engaged, and have more energy to dedicate to the things they care about. Building an effective wellbeing strategy also makes good business sense – organizations need healthy employees to meet their business objectives. And to build an effective wellbeing strategy, you need to go beyond ad-hoc, disconnected solutions.

Here are four steps to start:

  1. Review the data. Look at your current benefits and wellbeing offerings, and how your employees use them. Demographics can indicate trends such as a growing number of employees with young children or a shift toward retirement. Consider any health risks that may have grown over time, such as an increase in diabetes medication or a rise in disability leaves for mental health. This will help inform which wellbeing initiatives will have the greatest impact.
  2. Integrate wellbeing into your organizational culture. Consider how wellbeing can support your organization’s goals. A wellbeing strategy that powers your organization should intersect with every HR initiative your organization has – for example, occupational health or DEI. For instance, if your HR goals include creating a family-centric culture while increasing overall wellbeing, investigate opportunities around flexible work arrangements, fertility benefits or time-off policies. A comprehensive and strategic approach looks at the integration between the wellbeing program, core benefits, and other factors that support organizational health and build a cohesive culture.
  3. Align data with priorities. Armed with data and clear goals, organizations can determine what it will take to achieve success. For instance, an organization may want to reduce the number of employees requiring a disability leave, and the data indicates there’s a high number of disability claims related to mental health. In this example, the organization could review their mental health supports while also addressing workplace issues that may be causing undue stress to employees.
  4. Intentional Communication. Your strategy won’t impact your employees if they aren’t aware of it. A good practice is to share information regularly - helping them assess and identify mental health issues. This need not always be by email – you may need to get creative to reach your different employee populations in ways that are relevant and effective. An endless stream of emails won’t necessarily get an employee’s attention. You should ensure your communications have purpose, a clear call to action, or an offer for support. This support must be connected to something that employees understand impacts them every day. If you can’t meet those criteria, don’t send it.

HUB International’s Health & Performance specialists consult with employers of all sizes and in all industries to help organizations who are ready to develop Wellbeing and Absence & Disability Management strategies.

1 CBC, “Do office wellness programs work? A new study suggests they’re not helping staff,” January 30, 2024.